Plumbing fixture and fitting



J. N. KAISER PLUMBING FIXTURE AND FITTING Filed March 50, 1966 INVENTOR Jock N. Kaiser WWW Fq. E.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plumbing fixture, in particular a kitchen sink is provided with a raised section which houses a variable number of accessories. The raised section has an open top and an internal support member for supporting at least one of the accessories.

The present invention relates to a novel plumbing fixture and more particularly, to a plumbing fitting which cooperates with a sink structure capable of receiving a variety of accessories.

Although kitchen sinks have been in use for hundreds of years, their basic functional designs have not changed substantially. This is despite the fact that sinks at present have many inherent problems. For example, at present, sinks are made with openings for a variety of fittings such as a lotion or soap disposer, water faucets, spray, etc. It is necessary to stock sinks with the proper number of openings corresponding to the number of accessories to be used. The need for a factory made opening for each accessory limits flexibility in the selection of accessories, since cost factors preclude the manufacture of other than the most popular items. Since it is virtually impossible for a homeowner to add one or more accessories to a sink in his home without actually changing the sink, the homeowner cannot modify the sink to suit changing demands.

Surveys have shown, that while many of the functions to be performed by a sink were agreed upon by most women, other functions were very important to many homeowners, but not desired by other. Not only did their wants and needs vary, but also many were looking for a certain degree of individuality and did not want their kitchens to look just like everyone elses.

The use of a large removable ceramic or metal escutcheon which is replaceable, would appear to offer an alternative to the replacement of an entire sink. However, this does not readily lend itself to commercial application. It is necessary that the removable member meet the consumers aesthetic demands, and among other things, that it does not result in a structure which has dirt harboring crevices, or cracks throughout which water can readily leak, and that its is structurally strong enough to serve the purpose for which it is intended and be economical. The use of a removable member which covers a large opening in the top surface of a sink has not met with com- 3,427,665 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 rigidly and removably secured to, and carried by said flange member. The fitting has a shoulder portion and first threaded section at a first end, and a nut threadedly engaging said threaded section. The shoulder and nut cooperate to rigidly secure the fitting to the flange. The fitting, has, proximate a second end, a threaded section and a second nut threadedly engaging said second threaded section. The second threaded section extends through an opening in the escutcheon and the second nut, engages the upper surface of the escutcheon and forces the escutcheon downwardly into firm contact with the upper peripheral edges of the aforementioned raised section thereby removably locking the escutcheon in place.

The objects, features, and advantages of the present in- -Venti0n will be fully understood as the description of the invention proceeds, particularly when taken together with the accompanying drawings where like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several drawings and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional, elevational view, taken along lines 1-1 of FIGURE 2, and shows a pylon section of a sink and a cooperating fitting and FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing a pylon sink of the present invention.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the sink is provided with a vertically extending section 10. The section is in the form of a truncated pyramid or pylon, and has an open upper end 12. The opening is closed by means of an escutcheon 14, which is supported by the upper edges of the pylon 10.

The wall 11 of the pylon 10 must extend a considerable distance above the upper peripheral edge or ledge 18 of mercial success because of a failure to overcome the aforementioned problems.

It has now been found, that a solution to the foregoing problems can be achieved through the use of a sink having an open topped, raised section, in the form of pylon, in combination with a replaceable escutcheon.

In accordance with the present invention, a plumbing fixture, such as a kitchen sink, is provided, having a sump section and a raised section. The sump section has walls, the upper periphery of which forms a ledge. The raised section is an integral part of the fixture and includes walls which extend upward, with respect to the ledge and which form a hollow, open structure. A flange member is provided within the raised section, at the base thereof and rigidly secured thereto. A fitting, such as a water faucet, is

the bowl portion 76 of the sink in order to remove the escutcheon on the pylon 10 from the region in which Water normally splashes, as well as to provide a large region between the escutcheon 14, and the flange 40, at the base of the pylon, to accommodate and conceal the major portion of the fitting 30, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. It has been found that a height of at least about two inches, and preferably from 2.5 to 3 inches yields the best results.

FIGURE 1 shows a sink, in which the side wall 11, of the pylon 10 is somewhat recessed with respect to the rear wall 16, of the adjacent bowl. The pylon, obviously, can be positioned in any desired manner and advantageously, the wall of the front of the pylon can be contigious with the rear wall of the bowl. While FIGURE 1, for convenience shows the pylon positioned adjacent the shallow bowl of a three bowl sink, it is apparent that the pylon can also be used, with a one bowl sink as well as with two bowl sinks in which the bowls are equally or unequally deep, as well as with any other type sink.

It should also be noted, that while, for convenience the invention is herein described in conjunction 'with kitchen sinks, the pylon concept applies to plumbing fixtures in general, including bathroom lavatories, kitchen sinks and bathtubs, and the like, and the term sink is used in a generic sense.

One basic sink can be made to accommodate a variety of accessories, by merely changing the escutcheon. The escutcheon 14 of FIGURE 2, is provided with 3 holes, and thus can accommodate the water faucet 30, as well as two additional accessories, such as a garbage disposal switch, a drain pop-up control, a water spray, or a lotion or soap dispenser. By merely providing an escutcheon with the proper number of holes, the desired number of accessories can be accommodated. To change the number or type of accessories to be used, one merely needs to change the escutcheon.

A problem is encountered in that the escutcheon 14 must be firmly held in place, so as to provide a rigid supporting means for the accessories. For aesthetic reasons, however, it is undesirable to employ a simple expedient such as screws to secure the escutcheon to the sink. In order to have a commercially acceptable article it is necessary to have the escutcheon free from anything which would mar the surface and to this extent, a screw, rivet or the like would not be acceptable. A further complication is encountered in that the escutcheon from a cost standpoint, must be thin, but from a functional standpoint, must be thick if it is to support accessories. Furthermore, the water faucet must be securely enough supported to permit not only normal pressures to be applied to the faucet, but also, to permit the faucet to accommodate hoses for portable dishwashers, washing machines and the like. The escutcheon, unlike the body of the sink, cannot as a practical matter, provide this standard of support.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the sink is provided with a support member which is in the form of an extension or flange 40, located within the pylon 10, and positioned at the base of the pylon. The extension can take a variety of forms. For example, as seen in FIGURE 1, it can be a support member 40 integrally formed with the sink, or it can be removably secured to the sink, as for example, by means of screws or the like.

The lower threaded portion of the fitting is inserted into the hole or slot provided in the flange. The cooperating clamping action of the shoulder 31 and the nut 32, serves to securely and rigidly fix the fitting in place. The escutcheon 14 is positioned on the upper edges of the pylon and serves to close the open end 12 of the pylon.

The threaded portion 38, of the faucet extends through a properly positioned opening in the escutcheon. The spout 35 and escutcheon 14, are locked in place by means of a locking mechanism 34, which consists of a lower nut 36, and an upper nut 33. The nut 36, has a section 36a, dimensioned so as to slide within a wide non-threaded cooperating section 33a, of the nut 33. The nut 33 locks the spout 35 in place, by pressing downwardly on the O- ring 37. The downward motion of the nut 33, is therefore limited by the mating relationship of the mating relationship of the nut 33, base member 38, O-ring 37 and spout 35.

It is not possible, as a practical matter, to manufacture the fittings and the sinks with such close tolerances, that the bottom edge of the nut 33 will mate properly with the escutcheon 14. The independent action and cooperation between the nuts 33 and 36 permits the fitting to have a finished appearance and conceals the threads on base 38, over a wide range of dimensions. Thus, a range of heights of pylon 10, as well as a range of lengths of fittings can be accommodated, thereby eliminating the need for maintaining close tolerances in manufacturing the sinks and fittings.

The downward pressure of the nut 36 not only looks the escutcheon in place but can also serve to put the escutcheon under a slight bending force which in effect rigidifies the escutcheon and prevents its being flexed inwardly and outwardly during the handling of the various accessories carried by the escutcheon.

An additional nut, not shown can be employed to provide further support for the escutcheon 14. Because of the manufacturing costs involved in maintaining close tolerances and because of the desire to maintain free interchangeability between fittings and sinks, the shoulder 38a, of the base cannot be positioned to support the escutcheon. On the contrary, the desire is to provide a long path along which the nut 36 can be moved. The additional nut would be carried by the base 38, and positioned below the escutcheon 14. The escutcheon could then be firmly held between the upwardly pressing additional nut and the downwardly pressing nut.

Although it appears as though the need for the fastening of the fitting 30 to the sink by means of the flange 40, the shoulder portion 31 and the nut 32 could be eliminated by merely locking the escutcheon to the sink, it is again noted that it is commercially impractical to make the escutcheon thick enough to provide adequate structural strength, it is commercially undesirable to provide screws, bolts or the like on the top or front of the escutcheon and placing them elsewhere is ineflicient. Furthermore, the removal of the escutcheon in such an arrangement, would leave the fitting supported only by the water inlet lines, which of course, are not designed for such a function.

The rear wall of the pylon 10, as seen in FIGURE 1, is provided with an opening which is aligned with the flange 40. The body portion of the fitting, located within the pylon, can contain a liquid flow rate and temperature regulator 15, of the single lever type.

The control lever 17 is operatively connected to the regulator 15 and extends upwardly behind the pylon, so as to be readily accessible to the operator. The opening 19 in the rear wall 20 of the pylon thus serves as a passageway for a portion of the regulator and control lever 17.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms has been made only by Way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A plumbing fixture comprising:

(a) a sump section having walls, the upper periphery of said walls forming a ledge,

(b) a raised section, said raised section being an integral part of said fixture and having walls extending upwardly with respect to the upper surface of said ledge, and forming a hollow, open structure,

(c) a flange member within said raised section, said member being positioned at the base of said raised section and rigidly secured thereto,

((1) an escutcheon, said escutcheon being peripherally supported by the upper edges of said open structure, said escutcheon having at least one opening therein, and

(e) a fitting rigidly and removably secured to and carried by said flange member, said fitting having a shoulder portion and a first threaded section at a first end, and a nut threadedly engaging said threaded section, said shoulder and said nut cooperating to rigidly secure said fitting to said flange, said fitting having proximate a second end, a second threaded section and a second nut threadedly engaging said second threaded section, said second threaded section extending through an opening in said escutcheon, said second nut engaging the upper surface of said escutcheon and forcing said escutcheon downwardly into firm contact with said upper peripheral edges of said raised section, thereby removably locking said escutcheon in place.

2. The fixture of claim 1, wherein said fitting includes a pair of interfitting nuts, threadedly engaging said second threaded section, one of said pair of nuts being said second nut and having a portion slidably engaging the other of said pair of nuts, said other of said pairs of nuts serving to movably secure a spout member to said second threaded section of said fitting.

3. The fixture of claim 1, wherein said escutcheon is flexible sheet metal and when unstressed has a slightly concave curvature, and has downwardly extending peripheral flange edges which overhang the upper edge of said raised section, said second nut being positioned so as to press against said escutcheon, whereby said escutcheon is under a slight bending force, thereby rigidifying said escutcheon and preventing its being inwardly and outwardly flexed during handling of a fitting carried by said escutcheon.

4. The fixture of claim 1, wherein said fitting includes a liquid flow rate and temperature regulator contained within the body portion of said fitting, within said raised section, said raised section having an opening in a rear wall portion thereof, said opening being aligned with said flange member so as to provide a passageway means, and a control member which is operatively connected to said fitting to operate said regulator, said control mem' ber extending through said passageway means, rearward and upward.

5. The fixture of claim 2, wherein said escutcheon is flexible sheet metal and, when unstressed, has a slightly concave curvature, and has downwardly extending peripheral flange edges which overhang the upper edge of said raised section, said second nut being positioned so as to press against said escutcheon, whereby said escutcheon is under a slight bending force, thereby rigidifying said escutcheon and preventing its being inwardly and outwardly flexed during handling of a fitting carried by said escutcheon.

6. The fixture of claim 5, wherein said fitting includes a liquid flow rate and temperature regulator contained within the body portion of said fitting, within said raised section, said raised section having an opening in a rear wall portion thereof, said opening being aligned with said flange member so as to provide a passageway means, and a control member which is operatively connected to said fitting to operate said regulator, said control member extending through said passageway means, rearward and upward.

7. The fixture of claim 3, wherein said fitting includes a liquid flow rate and temperature regulator contained within the body portion of said fitting, within said raised section, said raised section having an opening in a rearwall portion thereof, said opening being aligned with said flange member so as to provide a passageway means, and a control member which is operatively connected to said fitting to operate said regulator, said control member extending through said passageway means, rearward and upward.

8. The fixture of claim 1, wherein said flange member is integrally formed with said fixture and has an open portion for receiving said fitting, said first threaded portion being positioned so as to pass through said open portion, whereby said shoulder contacts an upper surface of said flange and said cooperating nut contacts a lower surface of said flange, and said fitting includes a liquid flow rate and temperature regulator contained within the body portion of said fitting, within said raised section, said raised section having an opening in a rearwall portion thereof, said opening being aligned with said flange member so as to provide a passageway means, and a control member which is operatively connected to said fitting to operate said regulator, said control member extending through said passageway means, rearward and upward.

9. The fixture of claim 8, wherein said escutcheon when unstressed has a slightly concave curvature and has downwardly extending peripheral flange edges which overhang the upper edge of said raised section, said second nut being positioned so as to press against said escutcheon, whereby said escutcheon, is under a slight bending force, thereby rigidifying said escutcheon and preventing its being inwardly and outwardly flexed during handling of a fitting carried by said escutcheon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,417,583 5/1922 Stratton 4-192 1,847,917 3/1932 Binns 137-359 2,023,692 12/1935 McQuinn 4-187 2,538,835 1/1951 Harvey et a1. 3,298,037 1/ 1967 Luther 4-192 X FOREIGN PATENTS 740,490 1/ 1933 France. 806,620 12/1958 Great Britain.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. JEFFREY S. MEDNICK, Assistant Examiner. 

